Similar Physicochemical Characteristics Research Articles

Flotation separation of fluorite and calcite using anhydrous glucose and aluminum sulfate as a combined depressant

The effective flotation separation of fluorite and calcite is a critical problem in the mineral processing industry owing to their similar physicochemical characteristics. In this study, the effect of glucose (Glu) and Al3+ on the flotation separation of fluorite and calcite was studied using micro-flotation experiments, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), solution chemistry calculation, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and density functional theory (DFT). The micro-flotation experiments demonstrate that the combination of Glu and Al3+ had a significant depression effect on calcite. However, it slightly affected fluorite flotation. The SEM results indicate that Glu and Al3+ had a greater tendency of absorption on the calcite surface than that of fluorite. The solution chemistry calculation and XPS analysis exhibit that the increased selective depression of Glu on calcite with the addition of Al3+ was due to the formation of Al (OH) 3 and Al2O3 on the calcite surface. The DFT results exhibit that Ca-O bonds were formed when Glu interacted with fluorite. Additionally, Ca-O, C–H, and H-O bonds were formed when Glu interacted with the surface of calcite. The surface bonding characteristics of Glu with fluorite and calcite led to a difference in the adsorption energy. The glucose and Al2O3 glucose formed on the surface of calcite improved the adsorption through Al-O bond, which increased the adsorption sites on the surface of calcite and enhanced the depression effect of Glu on calcite.

Study of the processing of dehydrated black olives from oxidized black olives

Changes in the processing of black olives, together with the dehydration of the latter, were investigated in order to develop a new product with similar physicochemical and sensory characteristics to commercial dry-salted olives. Large fruit of the Hojiblanca cultivar (160 fruit/kg), preserved in brine for eight months, were used. It was found that these olives must be elaborated with hot lye (40 °C) to reduce their strong firmness. Moreover, several changes must be introduced during the color fixation stage including the addition of a concentration of NaCl higher than 6 g/100 mL, acidification with lactic acid and a low concentration of ferrous gluconate (<0.5 g/L). In addition, the kinetic constant and activation energy during the dehydration of the olives by infrared heating were obtained. Finally, it must be noted that this new product was assessed without any negative sensation by tasters one year after packing.

Mild isolation and characterization of surface lignin from hydrothermally pretreated lignocellulosic forestry and agro-industrial waste biomass

Within the biorefining concept, the lignocellulosic biomass wastes can serve as feedstock to produce value-added chemicals and fuels. The sustainable valorization of biomass is based on integrated processes that aim to the utilization of “whole biomass”. To this end, the first step of the efficient biomass pretreatment towards selective isolation of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, is of paramount importance. Hydrothermal pretreatment of biomass in neat water is a green and well-established process that enhances hemicellulose removal and recovery in the liquid fraction, affording a cellulose and lignin enriched solid which can be enzymatically hydrolyzed to glucose. A simple and efficient method to facilitate the hydrolysis is the prior extraction of the formed “surface” lignin which hinders the action of enzymes. Within this context, in this work, forestry (beechwood sawdust) and agro-industrial (vine prunings, apricot kernel shells) wastes were hydrothermally pretreated in neat water (at 220 °C, 15 min) and the formed surface lignin was extracted via soxhlet or reflux methods under mild conditions, with the use of green solvents (ethanol, acetone). The delignification degree of the pretreated biomass was in the range of 35–67 wt%, depending on the solvent and biomass feedstock. The recovered surface lignins were of high purity and exhibited similar physicochemical and structural characteristics with the organosolv lignin. The fast pyrolysis of surface lignins afforded bio-oils enriched in alkoxy-phenols and oxy-aromatics. The biomass solids recovered after lignin extraction are enriched in cellulose (70%) and exhibit high relative crystallinity and improved textural properties, thus increasing their potential valorization.

Inactivation Performance of Pseudorabies Virus as African Swine Fever Virus Surrogate by Four Commercialized Disinfectants

This study was based on similar physicochemical characteristics of pseudorabies virus (PRV) and African swine fever virus (ASFV). A cellular model for evaluation of disinfectants was established with PRV as an alternative marker strain. In the present study, we evaluated the disinfection performance of commonly used commercialized disinfectants on PRV to provide a reference for the selection of good ASFV disinfectants. In addition, the disinfection (anti-virus) performances for four disinfectants were investigated based on the minimum effective concentration, onset time, action time, and operating temperature. Our results demonstrated that glutaraldehyde decamethylammonium bromide solution, peracetic acid solution, sodium dichloroisocyanurate, and povidone-iodine solution effectively inactivated PRV at concentrations 0.1, 0.5, 0.5, and 2.5 g/L on different time points 30, 5, 10, and 10 min, respectively. Specifically, peracetic acid exhibits optimized overall performance. Glutaraldehyde decamethylammonium bromide is cost effective but requires a long action time and the disinfectant activity is severely affected by low temperatures. Furthermore, povidone-iodine rapidly inactivates the virus and is not affected by environmental temperature, but its application is limited by a poor dilution ratio such as for local disinfection of the skin. This study provides a reference for the selection of disinfectants for ASFV.

Making and Breaking—Insight into the Symmetry of Salen Analogues

This study focuses on selected members of the general salen-analogues family possessing two O-H⋯N hydrogen bonds, namely three isomers of N,N’-bis(salicylidene)-X-phenylenediamine, denoted as ortho, meta and para. Two of the isomers are not planar in the published crystal structures. The current study tackles the problem of symmetry and interactions within the molecules, as well as in the crystal lattice. The aromaticity of the phenyl rings is evaluated using the Harmonic Oscillator Model of Aromaticity (HOMA) index. Intra- and inter-molecular non-covalent interactions are studied via Hirshfeld surface analysis, Independent Gradient Model (IGM), Quantum Theory of Atoms in Molecules (QTAIM), Non-Covalent Interaction (NCI) index, Electron Localisation Function (ELF), Core-Valence Bifurcation (CVB) index and Symmetry-Adapted Perturbation Theory (SAPT). Density Functional Theory (DFT) simulations were carried out in vacuo and with solvent reaction field based on Polarisable Continuum Model (IEF-PCM formulation) at the ωB97XD/6-311+G(2d,2p) level. Crystal structure analyses were performed for the data reported previously in the literature. The obtained results demonstrate that the three isomers differ greatly in their structural properties (molecular symmetry is broken for the ortho and meta isomers in the solid state) and ability to form intermolecular interactions, while retaining overall similar physico-chemical characteristics, e.g., aromaticity of the phenyl rings. It was found that the presence of the polar solvent does not significantly affect the structure of the studied compounds. An application of the Hirshfeld surface analysis revealed the nature of the non-covalent interactions present in the investigated crystals. The SAPT results showed that the stability of the dimers extracted from the crystals of the Schiff base derivatives arises from electrostatics and dispersion.

Fractionation of Raw and Parboiled Rice Husks with Deep Eutectic Solvents and Characterization of the Extracted Lignins towards a Circular Economy Perspective.

In the present work, rice husks (RHs), which, worldwide, represent one of the most abundant agricultural wastes in terms of their quantity, have been treated and fractionated in order to allow for their complete valorization. RHs coming from the raw and parboiled rice production have been submitted at first to a hydrothermal pretreatment followed by a deep eutectic solvent fractionation, allowing for the separation of the different components by means of an environmentally friendly process. The lignins obtained from raw and parboiled RHs have been thoroughly characterized and showed similar physico-chemical characteristics, indicating that the parboiling process does not introduce obvious lignin alterations. In addition, a preliminary evaluation of the potentiality of such lignin fractions as precursors of cement water reducers has provided encouraging results. A fermentation-based optional preprocess has also been investigated. However, both raw and parboiled RHs demonstrated a poor performance as a microbiological growth substrate, even in submerged fermentation using cellulose-degrading fungi. The described methodology appears to be a promising strategy for the valorization of these important waste biomasses coming from the rice industry towards a circular economy perspective.

Effect of inclusion of alfalfa hay in the diet and gender on carcass and meat characteristics of Katahdin × Pelibuey lambs

ABSTRACT Dietary alfalfa hay could improve carcass and meat characteristics of lambs, however, information on hair breeds according to consumer demands is incomplete. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of dietary alfalfa hay and gender on carcass characteristics and physico-chemical properties of Katahdin × Pelibuey lmabs (F1). Thirty-six male and twenty-four female lambs were distributed in a completely randomized design with a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement: two diets, with or without alfalfa hay (AH) and two genders (male and female). Dry matter Intake (DMI) of male lambs was higher than females (1.360 vs 1.267 kg/d), daily weight gain (DWG) (0.262 vs 0.212 g), live slaughter weight (40.2 vs 37.8 kg), hot carcass weight (HCW) (20.0 vs 18.8 kg), temperature (9.57 vs 5.98°C) and highest pentadecanoic (1.42 vs 0.74%), linoleic (4.86 vs 3.04%) and tricosanoic acid content (2.43 vs 1.26%) in Longissimus lumborurm muscle (LLM). The meat pH ranged from 5.1 to 6.0. Protein and lipid average values were 19.2 and 5.1%, respectively. Lambs fed alfalfa diet had similar physicochemical characteristics than those fed concentrate feed, indicating the possibility of producing lamb meat using alfalfa. Meat of male lambs had the highest linoleic acid content, which provides positive health benefits to the consumers.

Soil fauna precipitate the convergence of organic matter quality during decomposition

Plant litter constitutes the dominant resource to soil food webs, which gradually decompose litter and transform it into soil organic matter. A central paradigm of this transformation posits that differences in quality between distinct litter types disappear during decomposition, as litter types converge towards similar physicochemical characteristics. Yet, this paradigm is debated and not based on clear metrics. It is also largely derived from microbial decomposition studies, while the effect of litter‐feeding soil animals, by transforming large quantities of litter into faeces, remains poorly documented. We addressed this knowledge gap by quantifying the variability in physicochemical characteristics amongst leaf litter of six tree species of contrasting quality, before and after conversion into faeces by six soil animal species. We found that litter conversion into faeces by diverse soil animals largely reduced the variability in physical and chemical characteristics between contrasting litter types. We also evaluated the consequences of this animal‐driven convergence on further microbial‐driven convergence during decomposition, by decomposing intact litter and soil animal faeces and comparing the chemical characteristics of decomposed materials. Chemical variability amongst uningested litter and amongst soil animal faeces converged at similar rates. This indicates that animal‐ and microbial‐driven convergence are additive, and that soil animals precipitate organic matter quality convergence during decomposition. We propose here a new framework and an associated metric to study changes in organic matter quality variability during decomposition, which we argue are essential for an improved understanding and modelling of litter decomposition and soil organic matter formation.

Sensory Improvement of Tuna Dark Flesh for Food Application; Processing Conditions and New Meat Product Development

ABSTRACT The abstract was corrected as follows:The sensory improvement of tuna dark flesh (TDF) and its application in meatball formulation were studied. The levels of trimethylamine, total volatile nitrogen, peroxide, and TBARS values of TDF surimi (TDFS) were decreased significantly compared to the TDF. The leaching process increased whiteness and decreased fat, myoglobin, and metmyoglobin contents, total Fe, and Heme Fe significantly. The new meat product was developed based on sensory data and consisted of 49 g/100 g beef mince and 21 g/100 g TDFS. The shelf-life study within 4-months frozen storage at −24°C indicated that the prototypes and control had similar sensory, physicochemical, and microbial characteristics within the study.

Evaluation of Adjuvant Activity and Bio-Distribution of Archaeosomes Prepared Using Microfluidic Technology.

Archaeosomes, composed of sulfated lactosyl archaeol (SLA) glycolipids, have been proven to be an effective vaccine adjuvant in multiple preclinical models of infectious disease or cancer. They have classically been prepared using a thin-film hydration method with an average particle size of 100-200 nm. In this study, we developed methods to generate SLA archaeosomes at different sizes, i.e., 30 nm and 100 nm, via microfluidic mixing technology and evaluated their physicochemical characteristics, as well as adjuvant activity and in vivo biodistribution in mice. Archaeosomes, prepared using thin-film and microfluidic mixing techniques, had similar nanostructures and physicochemical characteristics, with both appearing stable during the course of this study when stored at 4 °C or 37 °C. They also demonstrated similar adjuvant activity when admixed with ovalbumin antigen and used to immunize mice, generating equivalent antigen-specific immune responses. Archaeosomes, labeled with CellVueTM NIR815, had an equivalent biodistribution with both sizes, namely the highest signal at the injection site at 24 h post injection, followed by liver, spleen and inguinal lymph node. The presence of SLA archaeosomes of either size helped to retain OVA antigen (OVA-Cy5.5) longer at the injection site than unadjuvanted OVA. Overall, archaeosomes of two sizes (30 nm and 100 nm) prepared using microfluidic mixing maintained similar physicochemical properties, adjuvant activity and biodistribution of antigen, in comparison to those compared by the conventional thin film hydration method. This suggests that microfluidics based approaches could be applied to generate consistently sized archaeosomes for use as a vaccine adjuvant.

Genome-wide identification and effect of MdPEPC family genes during axillary bud outgrowth in apple (Malus domestica Borkh.)

The PEPC family proteins are ubiquitous in various plants and play an important role in the process of photosynthetic carbon assimilation and have many non-photosynthetic biological functions. However, PEPC genes have not been reported in apple. In this study, the members of apple MdPEPC family were identified based on the new apple genome data by bioinformatics analysis, and their expression patterns in different tissues and the apple axillary bud transcriptome treated by decapitation and TDZ (cytokinin) were analyzed in order to explore the role of MdPEPC genes in apple axillary bud outgrowth. The results showed that 6 MdPEPC family members were identified in apple, which distributed on 6 different chromosomes, and had similar physicochemical characteristics. Phylogenetic tree and sequence alignment analysis showed that the MdPEPC could be divided into two subgroups (Group Ⅰ and Group Ⅱ), in which four members in MdPEPC family were clustered into Group Ⅰ, belonging to plant-type PEPCs. However, MdPEPC4 and MdPEPC5 were clustered into Group Ⅱ with AtPPC4, belonging to bacterial-type PEPCs. There were 7 pairs of fragments repeats among MdPEPC members, but no tandem repeats existed. The promoter cis-acting element analysis showed that MdPEPC genes were not only affected by light and stress, but also regulated by multiple hormones. The expression profiles showed that all MdPEPCs except MdPEPC4 and MdPEPC5 were expressed in different apple tissues. Transcriptome data analysis showed that the expression levels of MdPEPC1 and MdPEPC3 were up-regulated after decapitation and TDZ treatment, whereas MdPEPC2 was significantly down-regulated at 48 h after treatments. In conclusion, MdPEPC1, MdPEPC2 and MdPEPC3 were selected as the candidate genes involved in axillary bud outgrowth regulation for further study.

Effect of Dietary Supplementation of Finishers with Herbal Probiotics, Ascorbic Acid and Allicin on the Cost and Quality Characteristics of Pork

This study analyzed the effect of finishing diet supplementation with herbal probiotic preparation, ascorbic acid, and allicin on mortality rates of pigs, and longissimus lumborum (LL) and semimembranosus (SM) muscle quality, including the levels of cholesterol, macroelements and microelements. The experiment was carried out on 3614 hybrid pigs (equal share of gilts and barrows), of the offspring of PIC410 boars and DanBred sows (Landrace-Yorkshire), divided into two groups. The experimental group of pigs received Fermented Herbs Extract (Multikraft, Austria) enriched with probiotics (S. cerevisiae, L. casei, L. plantarum) in addition to ascorbic acid (E300) and allicin during the finishing period (95 days), while the control group was fed a typical finishing diet containing levels of antibiotics consistent with those used in commercial pig production. Our results showed a positive effect of supplementation with herbal probiotics, allicin and ascorbic acid in lowering finishing pig mortality and increasing pork quality as evidenced by higher pH (40 min post mortem in the SM muscle; 24 h and 48 h in the LL muscle), lower thaw loss, higher dry matter and intramuscular fat (IMF), and higher yellowness (b*) and chroma (C*) while maintaining similar carcass lean/fat content. However, results showed no effect of the supplements on the levels of cholesterol, macroelements, and microelements in the LL muscle, except for Mn, whose concentration was higher in the control group. Compared to barrows, the carcasses of gilts were characterized by a greater share of lean meat and lower backfat thickness, with similar physicochemical and functional characteristics of meat. The results also showed interactions between the groups of pigs (control and supplementation) and their sex in shaping L* and the content of ash, potassium and phosphorus in the muscles. In summary, from the point of view of production economics, the use of the analyzed supplements in the finishing feed and through fogging resulted in better health (no need for the use of antibiotics) and lower mortality of pigs, which ultimately resulted in better financial results. In addition, the use of these additives in pig fattening had a beneficial effect on meat quality.

Comparison between MIBI-based radiopharmaceuticals for parathyroid scintigraphy: quantitative evaluation and correlation with clinical-laboratory parameters.

Parathyroid scintigraphy is mandatory for the identification of hyperfunctioning parathyroid glands in hyperparathyroidism (HPT). The use of 99mTc-methoxy-isobutyl-isonitrile (MIBI) as radiopharmaceutical for parathyroid scintigraphy is considered the most valid and useful considering its uptake mechanism. Several MIBI-based radiopharmaceuticals are commercially available (i.e., MediMIBI, TechneMIBI, Stamicis). They seem to have similar physico-chemical characteristics and the choice between them is based on commercial criteria, even though some differences in qualitative scintigraphic results have been appreciated. Aims of the study were: first, to compare the scintigraphic quantitative data of MediMIBI, TechneMIBI, and Stamicis, particularly in the view of a personalized medicine approach; second, to investigate the potential effect of clinical-laboratory data on image quality using one of these radiopharmaceuticals. Patients with diagnosis of HPT, who underwent a parathyroid scintigraphy using one of the three MIBI-based radiopharmaceuticals between December 2018 and October 2020, have been retrospectively identified. Parameters derived from regions of interest (ROIs) drawn on three different sites were obtained: a reasonable parathyroid lesion detected, an area in the lateral neck considered as the background, and the hepatic dome as the site of MIBI physiological uptake. Laboratory and clinical data, such as serum calcium, PTH, vitamin D, and creatinine levels, as well as possible drug-mediated interferences were considered. Among 250 patients included, 83 (33.2%) had the parathyroid scintigraphy using MediMIBI, 84 (33.6%) using TechneMIBI and 83 (33.2%) using Stamicis. The ROIs on the parathyroid uptake at early images, on the background, and on the hepatic dome were statistically different among the three groups (p < 0.05). No significant differences were found in the remaining semi-quantitative parameters among the three groups, not even considering clinical-laboratory data. Some differences in semi-quantitative parameters emerged among MIBI-based radiopharmaceuticals for parathyroid scintigraphy. This might justify the different qualitative scintigraphic results obtained using one or another of the cited radiopharmaceuticals.

Improving the Separation of PS and ABS Plastics Using Modified Induced Air Flotation with a Mixing Device

A dramatic increase in plastic waste has resulted in a strong need to increase plastic recycling accordingly. A selective flotation has been highlighted due to its outstanding efficiency for the separation of mixed plastics with analogous physicochemical characteristics. In this study, the effects of design and operational factors on the bubble’s hydrodynamic and mixing parameters in induced air flotation (IAF) with a mixing device were investigated through a design of experiment method (DOE) analysis for improving the plastic separation efficiency (i.e., PS and ABS). As a result of DOE analysis, the increase in the induced air tube diameter together with the rotational speed could generate a smaller bubble size. This led to the enhancement of the ratio of interfacial area to velocity gradient (a/G), which was interestingly found to be a significant factor affecting plastic recovery apart from the chemical agents. It demonstrates that operating IAF with a mixing device at a greater a/G ratio improved the plastic separation performance. These findings suggest that operating an IAF process with a mixing device at suitable a/G conditions could be a promising technique for separating plastic wastes, which have similar physicochemical characteristics as PS and ABS.

Water quality of Puerto Princesa Bay in relation to the presence of informal settlers in its coastal areas

In this study, the water quality of four coastal areas in Puerto Princesa Bay, with and without informal settlers, were compared in terms of the phytoplankton composition and density, fecal coliform and physicochemical parameters during a 12-month sampling period. Microscopic examination and identification using phytoplankton monographs showed five harmful algal blooms (HABs) genera (Alexandrium, Dinophysis, Nitzschia, Pseudo-nitzschia, and Pyrodinium) with Dinophysis spp. as the most abundant in coastal areas with informal settlers and Pseudo-nitzschia spp. in areas without informal settlers. Eight phytoplankton genera (Coscinodiscus, Proboscia, Rhizosolenia, Skeletonema, Ceratium, Prorocentrum, Protoperidinium, and Oscillatoria) reported to have caused algal blooms were also observed with Coscinodiscus spp. as the most abundant in both groups of coastal areas. Multiple-tube fermentation technique showed fecal coliform count ranging from 4 to &gt;1600 most probable number (MPN)/100 ml in the coastal areas with informal settlers and from &lt;1.8 to 295 MPN/100 ml in areas without informal settlers. Multiprobe measurements showed that both groups of coastal areas have similar physicochemical characteristics with only the dissolved oxygen failing to meet the Philippine standards for class SB waters. There was a significant difference (P &lt; 0.05) in water quality between the coastal areas with and without informal settlers in terms of fecal coliform and the density of four phytoplankton genera (Pseudo-nitzschia, Skeletonema, Alexandrium and Ceratium). However, there is no significant difference in terms of the physicochemical parameters. Regression analysis indicates that the presence of informal settlers could affect water quality in terms of fecal coliform and the five phytoplankton genera (Coscinodiscus, Pseudo-nitzschia, Skeletonema, Alexandrium and Ceratium).

The role of copper ion and soluble starch used as a combined depressant in the flotation separation of fluorite from calcite: New insights on the application of modified starch in mineral processing

• Cu 2+ and soluble starch (SS) together enhance fluorite/calcite flotation separation. • The mechanism was systematically studied from chemical and atomic perspectives. • Cu SS complex interacts strongly with calcite but only weakly with fluorite . • Metal-ion modified starches are flotation reagents with great potential. The flotation separation of fluorite and calcite poses a long-standing challenge in the mineral processing industry because of their similar physicochemical characteristics. In this study, the effects of Cu 2+ and soluble starch (SS) in the separation of fluorite from calcite by flotation, and the mechanisms behind these effects, were investigated using micro-flotation experiments, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) and density functional theory (DFT). The micro-flotation experiments show that the combination of Cu 2+ and SS exhibits a stronger selective depression effect on calcite than that produced by SS alone; in contrast, the effect on fluorite flotation is relatively small. The XPS, FT-IR and ToF-SIMS analyses show that Cu 2+ can react with SS to form a Cu SS complex, which has better selectivity, resulting in the difference in flotation performance between fluorite and calcite. DFT results show that the SS and the Cu-SS complex form different chemical bonds during their interactions with the mineral surfaces: Ca O bond and H F bonds are formed when SS interacts with the fluorite surface, and Ca O and hydrogen bonds are formed when SS interacts with the calcite surface. A Ca Cu bond is formed when the Cu SS complex interacts with the fluorite surface, but both Cu O and Ca Cu bonds are formed when the Cu SS complex interacts with the calcite surface. This causes differences in adsorption energy. The adsorption energies of the interactions between SS or Cu SS complex and the surfaces of fluorite and calcite are ranked as: calcite + Cu SS complex > calcite + SS > fluorite + SS > fluorite + Cu SS complex.

Selective Extraction of Transition Metals from Spent LiNix Coy Mn1-x-y O2 Cathode via Regulation of Coordination Environment.

The complexity of chemical compounds in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) results in great difficulties in the extraction of multiple transition metals, which have similar physicochemical characteristics. Here, we propose a novel strategy for selective extraction of nickel, cobalt, and manganese from spent LiNix Coy Mn1-x-y O2 (NCM) cathode through the regulation of coordination environment. Depending on adjusting the composition of ligand in transition metal complexes, a tandem leaching and separation system is designed and finally enables nickel, cobalt, and manganese to enrich in the form of NiO, Co3 O4 , and Mn3 O4 with high recovery yields of 99.1 %, 95.1 %, and 95.3 %, respectively. We further confirm that the combination of different transition metals with well-designed ligands is the key to good selectivity. Through our work, fine-tuning the coordination environment of metal ions is proved to have great prospects in the battery recycling industry.

Selective Extraction of Transition Metals from Spent LiNixCoyMn1−x−yO2 Cathode via Regulation of Coordination Environment

AbstractThe complexity of chemical compounds in lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) results in great difficulties in the extraction of multiple transition metals, which have similar physicochemical characteristics. Here, we propose a novel strategy for selective extraction of nickel, cobalt, and manganese from spent LiNixCoyMn1−x−yO2 (NCM) cathode through the regulation of coordination environment. Depending on adjusting the composition of ligand in transition metal complexes, a tandem leaching and separation system is designed and finally enables nickel, cobalt, and manganese to enrich in the form of NiO, Co3O4, and Mn3O4 with high recovery yields of 99.1 %, 95.1 %, and 95.3 %, respectively. We further confirm that the combination of different transition metals with well‐designed ligands is the key to good selectivity. Through our work, fine‐tuning the coordination environment of metal ions is proved to have great prospects in the battery recycling industry.

Role of the Metal Atom in a Carbon-Based Single-Atom Electrocatalyst for LiS Redox Reactions.

Carbon-based single metal atom catalysts (SACs) are being extensively investigated to improve the kinetics of the Li-S redox reaction, which is greatly important for batteries with cell-level energy densities >500Whkg-1 .However, there are contradictory reports regarding the electrocatalytic activities of the different metal atoms and the role of the metal atom in LiS chemistry still remains unclear. This is due to the complex relationship between the catalytic behavior and the structure of carbon-based SACs. Here, the catalytic behavior and active-site geometry, oxidation state, and the electronic structure of different metal centers (Fe/Co/Ni) embedded in nitrogen-doped graphene, and having similar physicochemical characteristics, are studied. Combining X-ray absorption spectroscopy, density functional theory calculations, and electrochemical analysis, it is revealed that the coordination-geometry and oxidation state of the metal atoms are modified when interacting with sulfur species. This interaction is strongly dependent on the hybridization of metal 3d and S p-orbitals. A moderate hybridization with the Fermi level crossing the metal 3d band is more favorable for LiS redox reactions. This study thus provides a fundamental understanding of how metal atoms in SACs impact LiS redox behavior and offers new guidelines to develop highly active catalytic materials for high-performance LiS batteries.

Ubiquity of dominant cyanobacterial taxa along glacier retreat in the Antarctic Peninsula.

Cyanobacteria are key organisms in the Antarctic ecosystem, but the primary succession of its communities in recently deglaciated soils remains poorly understood. In this study, we surveyed the primary succession of cyanobacterial communities with an in-depth Next Generation Sequencing approach in three Antarctic recently glacier forefields. Despite the similar physicochemical characteristics of the soils, we did not find a common pattern in the distribution of the cyanobacterial communities at the finest level of taxonomic resolution. However, the metabarcoding analysis revealed a common community of 14 cyanobacterial identical sequences in all the studied soils, whose lineages were not restricted to polar or alpine biotopes. These ASVs comprised a relative abundance within the cyanobacterial community of 51.5%-81.7% among the three locations and were also found in two cyanobacterial mats from the Antarctic Peninsula. Our results suggest that (micro)biotic interactions act as a key driver of the community composition and dynamics of Cyanobacteria during the early stages of succession in recently deglaciated soils of Antarctica. A few common genera might play a key role in the ecosystem, due to its ubiquitous presence not only in these soils but also in microbial mats, conforming probably the most widely disperse and dominant single genotypes in Antarctic soils.